


of sacred blood

by notaletotell



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening, Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Fire Emblem Awakening AU, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Minor Character Death, Time Shenanigans, it does follow the premise and the three arcs of awakening though, other relationships exist in the fic but won't be delved into like viktor/yuuri or mila/sara, the fic isn't entirely based off of the plot and dialogue of either the game or dawn on ice's fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-23 01:04:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10708905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notaletotell/pseuds/notaletotell
Summary: “Come back alive. Both of you.”“We promise. We’ll come back to you.” They both hug him, fiercely, and Viktor peppers the crown of his head with kisses and he swears that Yuuri is trying his best not to let the tears spill from his eyes. It’s a promise to return, and yet he can’t help but feel it was more of a farewell, a good-bye, than a brief separation.He had to accept that they weren’t ever coming back; his parents had already died. Yuri wanted to deny it as much as his sister had, to keep on praying that they would come back, but he couldn’t afford to do so. Denial meant he would only delay the inevitable and that wasn’t fair to the people of Ylisse, of Regna Ferox, of Plegia, of the whole of Valm and maybe even the world beyond the horizon. His parents were a beacon of hope and change and as their son, he had to fill in that role.It washisturn to maintain hope in such dire times, and it was his turn to save the realm from oblivion.





	of sacred blood

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dawn on ICE (Dawn_Blossom)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawn_Blossom/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Credam, Dabo, Sperabo](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10270433) by [Dawn on ICE (Dawn_Blossom)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawn_Blossom/pseuds/Dawn%20on%20ICE). 



> This fic was inspired by _Fire Emblem: Awakening_ and Dawn on ICE’s _Credam, Dabo, Sparibo_. While it is influenced by both works heavily and incorporates many of its elements, the fic isn’t compliant to everything that was established in _Credam, Dabo, Sparibo_.
> 
> Relationships such as Viktor/Yuuri and Mila/Sara are constantly mentioned and even depicted, although neither relationship is the main focus of the fic. It deals solely in Yuri Plisetsky’s narration. Also, the relationship of Otabek Altin and Yuri Plisetsky is kept strictly platonic throughout the whole story.
> 
> There will be an original character who influences both the narrative and the plot greatly, but has no narration of her own. (Her character fills Morgan's own role within the game itself.)
> 
> Finally, the fic was also inspired by the song [Youth by Daughter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QT5eGHCJdE).

_You can do this,_ he tells himself. _They aren’t the people you grew up with. They aren’t really your parents. Not yet, anyways. It shouldn’t matter to you._

“You saved my cousin and for that, I owe you my thanks.” Viktor says. “My name is Viktor. Might I ask yours, masked stranger?”

Yuri's resolve breaks faster than he had hoped, and tears start to well in his eyes. It's impossible not to feel anything and not care about the man standing in front of him right now. Perhaps in his past, he wasn't on the best of terms with his father and in the present, he may insist that this Viktor isn't his father—but the truth is, this _is_ his father. Before he'd withdrawn from his own son, before he died.

(And some things, Yuri realizes, has always been a part of his father. From the silver of his hair to the kind and soft look in his eyes that Yuri knows all too well. In the future, he was a well-guarded man, but such a look of love and gratefulness had always been reserved for his family.

Yuri doesn't believe he deserves it. Not anymore.)

Before he could give Viktor his name, however, he sees another person walk into the clearing. “Viktor?” A familiar voice calls out. “We’ve cleared our side of the forest now. There aren’t any more of those monsters; they’re gone.”

“I’ve already dealt with the rest.” Yuri explains, struggling to keep his voice detached and monotone.

Yuuri smiles at him. “Thank you, stranger. I’m sure we are indebted to you.” He adds, “We never—I don’t think I caught your name.”

"Because I never gave it to you." His words were harsher than he'd expected, and the look of surprise on Yuuri's face has him wince in apology. He didn't mean for it to come out the way it had.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself as he keeps his emotions in check. It won’t do to alienate them, as Yuri knows that he would see them in the near future. Instead, he lets his breathing even out before he opens his eyes and looks at them both. Yuri can't tell them the truth, of course, but he wanted to; wanted to tell them that he's their son and that he loves them so very much, and he wants to warn them about the future and what happens in the end. 

But he can't.

“My name is Marth. I was named after the Hero-King of old.”

* * *

_"They're already dead. What else can we save?"_

_"If we go back to the past, then—"_

_"Then_ what _? We destroy the Grimleal? We stop the Fell Dragon? Are you so deluded, Minami, that you can't even realize how much of a death wish your dream is? If our own parents couldn't stop them, then how can we? You're just wasting the life your mother died to protect—"_

_"I want to go back because I don't want them to die!" The rise of voices within the tent had come to a still when Minami's voice had cracked. Tears welled in his eyes, and Yuri didn't know what he could do. "Our world is going to die. We can't do anything about it. We're given one chance by the Divine Dragon and you'd rather throw it away?"_

_"If you' would have us accept death in this wasteland, then_ you're _the one wasting the life your fathers died to protect. Not me."_

* * *

When Yuri arrives in Regna Ferox, he could see the strength its kingdom was once well-known for. The wall that separated the kingdom from Ylisse was an impenetrable fortress guarded by well-trained knights, granting a sense of security that Leo had taken pride in when they were younger. However, he sees past that and remembers how the walls were torn down, with ash raining down on debris and the dead bodies strewn about.

"You requested an audience with me?" He's drawn out of his musings by the voice from behind him. When he turns to look, it takes a moment for Yuri to register that this was the West Khan, Celestino. "Please, tell me as quickly as you can. I have the tournament to worry about."

He hums. “That’s exactly what I’m here for,” Yuri replies. Celestino appraises him and spares a glance at the hilt of the sword by his side, and Yuri takes this as an opportunity to show him his sword. “I would like to represent the West Khan in this tournament on behalf of the Royal House of Ylisse. My request is that by securing your position as the leading Khan, you will ally yourself with Ylisse should a war between Plegia and Ylisse arise.”

“I was entrusted by the Exalt to secure an alliance with Regna Ferox, and I intend to fulfill my duty to my liege.”

“The Falchion cannot be used by someone who isn’t a part of the Royal Family,” Celestino says in disbelief. His hand immediately moves to the axe strapped to his back. “I am no fool, boy. I know you cannot use that.”

“I can, but that is not what matters.” He shouldn’t have to explain himself to Celestino, not when he knows that the he is pressed for time.

If Yuri plays his cards right, he can secure an alliance between Ylisse and Regna Ferox no matter the outcome of the impending tournament.

 _Good,_ he thinks _. If securing the alliance ensures Aunt Mila’s survival and it delays the declaration of war, then I can keep Regna Ferox from falling to Plegia. I can save them._

But first, he has to win Celestino’s confidence.

“Now, before I represent you, I must challenge your current champion, the myrmidon called Cao Bin? Please, let us make haste.”

 

Unlike Cao Bin, who couldn’t deal with the damage of a Levin Sword, his parents are a little bit more difficult to defeat. He’s seen both of his fathers in combat and they’d managed to defeat a whole swarm of Risen with just the Falchion and a _Thunder_ tome.

But he doesn’t give up and instead plans to take advantage of what he’s learned from both his sister and his time observing his fathers spar.

 _Papa can’t endure magic attacks and Father knows this,_ Helena told him when they were younger. _So when they’d spar against Anya and Aunt Sara, Father never fights offensively; only defensively. He’s so focused on the possibility that Papa would be targeted that he’d leave himself vulnerable._

The East Khan’s champion arrives and as expected, it’s Viktor and by his side are Yuuri, Mila, Mari, and Chris. They don’t change at all from who they are now and who they will be, Yuri realizes, and it’s quite difficult to shake his fears off.

The battle begins and his party takes a defensive formation. He's at a clear disadvantage—knights may be able to endure blow after blow, but the Armorslayer and magical tomes on Viktor's side of the Arena can easily make do. He also has mages he has to look out for, because otherwise they wouldn't stand a chance against either Chris or Viktor. He has to be careful if he wants to survive, let alone win.

 _It doesn’t matter,_ he tells himself. _Just_ — _don’t make too much of a fool of yourself._

He splits his four mages into groups of two. That way, Yuuri would be forced to split his group as well and he can only bank on speed and careful placement because not everyone on their team is capable of enduring magical attacks, including him.

(Yuri feels a little sick, knowing that he's employing the same tactics the Plegian strategist used against Minako. He pushes the thought to the back of his mind because he knows that he can't afford to lose himself in thoughts right now.)

The plan works and it manages to incapacitate both Mari and Mila, although Mari was able to take down half of the knights under his charge.

 _The battlefield...I like to think of it like chess,_ his sister’s voice supplies. _You either bait them only to come to you, or you intimidate them and they slip up in their defenses. It’s the easiest trick in the book, but it’s also the one most people, especially overconfident soldiers, fall for._

He makes sure his remaining knights aren’t too far from his mages, and he’s quick to move his other soldiers within their range, too. It reminds him of the times when he’d play out a battlefield with Yuuri, then later on Helena, and he would find it pleasant to reminisce if not for the reminder that this isn’t as much of a game as those had been.

(His mind supplies that this technically  _is_ a game; whether he wins or he loses wouldn't matter but Yuri is prideful, dammit, and he doesn't want to make it out as if his lessons with his Papa were all for naught and he didn't learn anything from him.)

Yuuri takes advantage of the range his tomes offer him, attacking the knights just out of the mages’ reach, and although he can’t knock them down in just one turn, he doesn’t have to fear the force of their lances. Yuuri may not be built to endure magic attacks but his father _can_ take a hit from almost any weapon. That and, Yuri sulks, Viktor is too fast on his feet that he manages to block almost each and every attempt before it hits.

(He doesn’t know if he should be happy and proud that his father is already so devoted and they aren’t even _married_ yet, or be somewhat disgusted at how obvious Viktor was being. And how oblivious his _other_ father was. Maybe both.)

It’s Chris who takes down his mages, much to his frustration, and his bigger range of mobility makes it difficult for Yuri’s knights to strike him down. Without having any other choice and, seeing that Chris has essentially trapped himself by passing through the barrier the two knights had formed, Yuri takes it as an opportunity to fight.

Of course, Yuuri didn’t let Chris go ahead without covering his weaknesses. As an archer, he isn’t built to endure blows. Now, however, it was clear he’s drank a tonic to make it easier for him to deal with evasion. He's fast enough to avoid Yuri's first attempt and he takes a step back to notch an arrow aimed at him, but Yuri moves forward and uses the flat of his blade to land a downward strike at him. He's caught Chris off-guard and the man stumbles back, barely avoiding Yuri's sword.

Yuri’s about to cut Chris down using the hilt of the Falchion to hit him over the head to blind him knock him back. Before he could deal the final blow that would incapacitate Chris, his vision swims and the next thing he sees, it’s the Falchion in Chris’ chest as the man’s already glazed eyes roll to the back of his head.

(He also hears JJ’s panicked screams and now it’s ringing in his ears.)

He gasps and stumbles back, nearly dropping the Falchion, and Chris takes this as an opportunity to take Yuri down. The archer quickly changes to a Killer Bow, one on the verge of breaking, and it’s close enough that the arrow he’s just released deals serious damage to Yuri. Yuri falls to the ground, the Falchion slipping from his hand and landing with a muffled thud, but he could care less where he was and where the Falchion went.

All he can hear are the shouts of his companions, the heavy groans of the Risen they were facing as they made their way to Mount Prism one final time, and the sound of weapons hitting the hollowed husks of the Risen. He hears his friends' pained cries as the Risen they face are practically _identical_ to their own parents and he sees the Risen body of JJ’s own father, bow in his hands, with _Yuri’s_ sword sticking out of his chest.

The vision he sees is fleeting and it’s gone as quickly as it had come, but the _sounds_ are still there. It’s overwhelming. So Yuri grabs the Falchion before Viktor or anyone else can notice it and leaves. His work in Regna Ferox is done and now, Ylisse has secured herself an ally.

That’s all he needs to do for now.

* * *

_Helena’s playing with the locket around her neck, biting the inside of her cheek as she watches their parents spar from atop the balcony. “I always did find it sweet how they’re also so protective of each other when they fight,” She comments. “According to Aunt Sara, they’ve been like that since they met.”_

_His automatic reply is a scoff. “It’s a battle, Helena. Of course they’d be protective.”_

_“No, no, not like that.” She points towards Yuuri, gesturing to his footing. “When they spar, Papa takes advantage of his speed and agility. He blocks any blows coming Father’s way and strikes twice at their opponent. If that doesn’t work, he’s quick to push Father out of the way and endure the blow himself. He’s more capable at enduring physical hits than Father ever could be, you know?”_

_He scowls. “How can you tell?”_

_“Almost everyone targets Father and not the one who wields magic,” She grins. “Papa isn’t as capable of taking magical attacks, though, and Father knows this. I think Anya does, too, and those who wield Levin Swords and Bolt weapons. They always target Papa when they have those.”_

_“But Father isn’t as fast as Papa is, isn’t he? Not quite there, anyways. He just ends up throwing himself in between the attacker and Papa.” He snorts. “It’s foolish.”_

_“It is, isn’t it? A part of me wants to say it’s adorable. They work well together, always in sync."_

_"They take on enemies the other couldn’t. A duo like that would be a menace to deal with if they were your enemies. It's reckless._ _” She pauses as she thinks about she would say next, her eyes flitting over to Anya as she mutters, “I can’t help but wonder...”_

_“Wonder about what?” He asks. When he turns to look at his sister, he sees that her eyes betray no emotion or thought.“Helena?”_

_“Hm?” She hums, snapping out of her thoughts. “Oh, uh, I was just thinking about something. It’s not a very pleasant thought, now that I think about it.”_

_“And what is it?” Yuri inquires._

_She shakes her head and smiles as if to reassure it doesn’t mean anything, but she’s too much like their fathers that he knew it was forced. H_ _e isn’t blind. “It’s nothing. I just remembered one of the books Papa wanted me to read on diplomacy and all. I don’t think he would take kindly to the fact that I snuck out of the library to watch him spar.”_

_Helena eventually takes her leave, leaving him to mull over what she's said as he continues to watch their parents._

_He doesn’t bring it up during dinner or before they head to bed and Helena never mentions it the next time they watch their fathers spar, so Yuri forgets about it._

* * *

When Yuri was four years old, the war between Ylisse and Plegia had gone for over seven years. In that time, numerous attempts at Otabek’s life was made, his Aunt Sara’s arm was torn off, and his own father suffered a grievous wound. It left Ylisse war-torn and short of supplies, something not even the reparations from Plegia could atone for.

As far as Yuri knew, it all began with the murder of his Aunt Mila.

That was why as soon as his business in Regna Ferox was finished, he thought it best to make haste and return to Ylisstol. If he could make it in time, he could warn his father of the plot on his cousin’s life and be able to catch up to Mila before she’s taken captive. Without a horse of his own and only a single piece of gold in his pocket, there would be no way for Yuri to reach Ylisstol fast enough. The best he could do would be to hide in the back of hay carts en route to Ylisse and, he fears, this could take a week.

 _“The letter arrived early in the morning,”_ Otabek told him, _“By midday, they were sent to lead a group of soldiers to drive the brigands out from one of the towns by the border.”_

He didn’t have much time—the day would arrive in a week’s time.

 

There was a hole in the castle wall, where a maple grove spanned the whole eastern side of the castle. Yuri would use it as a way to sneak out when he was younger, whether to avoid his lessons or to buy presents in the nearby stalls for his parents. Oftentimes, he’d bring Otabek along with him because Yuri wanted him to see the sun set and how it looked like over the meadow.

The bright colored walls within were destroyed, leaving his home as nothing more than rubble and ash. Risen replaced people as they patrolled the area around the castle, and the beautiful sunset he loved so much was hidden away by the smoke in the air.

But none of that matters now.

 _If I look past the small garden and the patch of gladiolus flowers, that’s where Aunt Sara would be buried_ — _the same place they made a small monument for Aunt Mila._

Yuri shakes his head. He had no time to spare thinking about what had already happened; it was already midday. If he couldn’t stop Mila and Sara from leaving, he could convince the others to follow after them and still be there in time.

He makes his way into the garden, mindful of how the soles of his boots would make a sound against the cobblestone path. There was a secret passageway that led to the throne room under the statue of Naga in the middle of the garden. It would take less time for him to navigate the winding corridors to reach Viktor if he would use this passageway.

At the base of the statue was an engraving that detailed all of the exploits of both the Hero-King and the First Exalt—two of the most prominent figures in Ylissean history—and how the Divine Dragon Naga had aided them, blessed them, and guided them to victory. It sang of praise and reverence to her, and Yuri had always found its poetic prose rather enchanting.

He knelt on one knee and, carefully, looked for the Brand of the Exalt in the coat of arms on the concrete base. It was small in comparison to the dragon that encircled the Fire Emblem, no bigger than the width of Yuri’s thumb. Once Yuri finds it, he presses onto it firmly until it sinks into the the coat of arms and he hears the sound of gears clicking. The door pops open and when he clears its corners of cobwebs and dust bunnies, goes to crawl on all fours and makes his way inside, mindful enough to cover the entrance he had come from.

According to the stories Viktor once told him as a child, he would use this passageway more often than not. He found it infuriating how his days were filled with lessons and more lessons, never an ounce for something _fun_ , so he’d sneak out at night to play in the garden until he made the hole in the castle wall to escape.

 _“I stopped sneaking out, though,”_ His father said. _“When my grandmother had died, my father_ — _your grandfather, Yura_ — _had already passed away. I was crowned the Exalt and I never really had time for myself after that.”_

As Yuri crawled through the narrow passageway, he couldn’t help but think about how his father would go on to show him the entrance to the passageway and where it led. It didn’t even matter if his Papa was aware; so long as Yakov didn’t know, it was fine with his either of his parents. _And as long as I didn’t sneak out during a storm,_ he adds, _especially if I brought Helena or Beka with me._

The passageway ends in the corridor right outside of the throne room, hidden behind the portrait of Yuri’s late great-grandmother Lilia. When he reaches the end, he pulls the wooden door open and, carefully, slides the portrait so that he could get out. He doesn’t have to worry about the idea of any of the guards seeing him—his father, for reasons he never understood, disliked the idea of placing guards by the door. Viktor would reason it was because he didn’t want anyone to listen in on the details he discussed and Yuri would have believed him the way Helena had if not for him knowing it was impossible to hear anything through the door.

(His Papa would be the one to explain it to him: Viktor took extra precautions ever since one of the guards stationed outside the throne room had burst in and killed the previous Exalt where she stood.)

He steps out of the passageway and, in his haste, lets the portrait fall back to its original position without even closing the panel behind him. If his father wouldn’t notice, then it would either be his other father or his Aunt Mila. Whatever the case, _someone_ would fix it after this whole ordeal.

 _Assuming she’d survive,_ he shudders. He makes his way over to the double doors that led to the throne room and, without caution, pushed one open with all of his might.

“—are getting out of control. If this keeps up, we’ll have to—” His entrance cuts Yakov off mid-sentence, but he doesn’t bother to apologize for his intrusion. There were more pressing matters to attend to, he reasons, and he could worry about the old man’s feelings later.

Yuri’s gaze sweeps across the room and he see that Yuuri and Minako were with Viktor and Yakov in the room. He caught them in the middle of an argument, as evidenced by the frustration he saw for a split-second before they all expressed their surprise at the sight of Yuri.

Minako is the first one to recover. “How did you—”

“I have more important issues to attend to than answer your question.” Yuri interjects. “Tell me, Viktor, did they leave for the border?” Viktor seems surprised at his sudden demand and before he can address him, Yuri decides to add, “Answer my question first before you consider asking me anything.”

“That is _not_ how you speak to a—” Yakov begins.

“Ease, Grandfather.” Viktor commands and Yakov immediately lets the words die on his tongue.

There’s a steely, _guarded_ look in Viktor’s eye, and Yuri doesn’t miss how his father shifts on his feet. His form is rigid, his sword arm tense and ready to take the Falchion out of its sheath. Viktor may not have been as quick as Yuuri or Yuri himself, but fighting was in his nature and he was _still_ fast enough to wield the Falchion and bring Yuri down before it could register in his mind.

Viktor sizes Yuri up, the intensity of his gaze making him shudder. It’s unlike the way his father would look at him when he was younger but that was to be expected; as of yet, he didn’t know Yuri and for all he knew, he was someone who wanted to impersonate the Hero-King, disillusioned with the notions of grandeur and what not, ready to point his sword at Viktor and slay them.

“They left less than an hour ago,” Yuuri answers. “They should be marching alongside a group of cavaliers.”

“Keep in mind that everyone in this room is armed. No matter how skilled of a swordsman you are, we have you outnumbered,” Viktor continues. His voice is hardened and Yuri’s taken aback; the man he was speaking to was the Exalt and it reflected in how Viktor spoke to him, devoid of emotion and empathy. It's not quite like the soft and teasing voice he's come to associate with Viktor.

“Now, how did you get in here, and how do you know that we sent Mila and Sara off to the border?”

Yuri doesn’t answer him right away; he’s not quite sure he wants to tell Viktor the truth, but at the same time he knows that the only thing to win Viktor’s trust is with sincerity. His father, for the dense idiot he could be at times, is certainly perceptive enough that he can easily tell what was fake and what was truly genuine.

So he answers him truthfully, “I got into the castle through the hole in the castle wall. The one by the maple grove. After that, I used the passageway found in the garden so that I could reach this room without anyone else spotting me and reporting to you.”

“And why’s that?”

“If I were apprehended or you were taken away from the castle, then the reason as to why I came here would be for naught,” He says as he raises a brow at Viktor, questioning him, until he remembers that he’s wearing a mask and Viktor won’t even be able to see it. “And as to how I knew that Mila and Sara were to leave for the border today, I…” Yuri takes a deep breath, feeling the muscles in his body tense as his toes curl.

“What if I told you that I have seen the future? Would you believe me if I told you that your beloved cousin dies in the hands of Plegian assassins? Would you believe me if I tell you that it is her death that causes the war between your nations, and your people will come to blame you for it as well?”

Yakov scoffs at what he’s heard. “And we’re supposed to believe you? We don’t know who you are or where you come from—you could be a spy sent by Plegia to lure the Exalt into a trap.” He crosses his arm and he shifts on his feet ever so slightly. “Or, more plausibly, you sound like a madman who has no better use of his time.”

“What if I told you that I _am_ from the future?”

Yakov stares at him, his look hard and difficult to read, before he laughs and sneers at Yuri. "You're mad. Delusional," He says. "You have no proof to defend yourself."

“Then let me, please.” He directs this request to Viktor rather than to Yakov himself.

Viktor does not answer him immediately, only staring at him with a thoughtful expression as his right index finger taps absentmindedly at his lower lip. “By all means.” He says, finally, with a twinkle in his eyes as if to say that he’d like to see Yuri try.

Immediately, Yuri takes to pulling the Falchion from its sheath. Everyone else, except for Viktor, move to take their weapons in defense as Yuri presents his sword to him. As the family heirloom and national treasure he had inherited from Viktor, it was exactly the same with the sword his father had with him. From the appearance and down to its very weight, they _must_ be identical.

Viktor takes the blade gingerly from Yuri, examining every inch of the Falchion. He holds it by its hilt and lifts it into a defensive stance, taking note of its weight. When he seems satisfied with what he's seen and what he's felt, he returns the blade to Yuri and appraises him.

“This is the Falchion? The very treasure of Ylisse?” Viktor inquires. “Its feel and weight are identical, as does the very blade…” He looks up to Yuri, astonishment clear on his face. “But to wield this and to use it in combat—that would make you a part of the Royal House.” He tries to search whatever reaction he thinks he’d get out of Yuri, frantically scrutinizing every part of the mask that hid Yuri’s eyes and the rest of his face Viktor could not see. There is a thought in his mind that seems to plague him but he doesn’t voice whatever they are. Instead, Viktor returns the Falchion to Yuri and turns to Minako.

“Minako, please gather pegasi and have them ready within the hour. We will set off at once to follow Mila and her company.”

Yuuri blinks once, twice, before he shakes his head and tugs at Viktor’s sleeve to speak to him. “V-Viktor, do you think that it’s wise to act on what Marth told us?” He asks. “How are you even sure the Falchion he wields is the very same as yours? How can it even prove that what he says is true?”

Viktor shakes his head and gestures to Yuri’s clothes until his eyes settle on the diadem atop Yuri’s head; he eventually lowers his arm, if only to gesture at the Falchion, the blade still laying in Yuri’s outspread hands. “This is not what a Plegian looks, Yuuri, and I should have realized that this is more fitting of someone of House Ylisse. If he is of the house and he is able to wield the Falchion when there is only one Falchion in all the realms—then what he says must be true.”

“Milord, what if his words are false?” Minako asks.

“Then we deal with his betrayal once we get there,” Although he cannot see where Yuri’s eyes are or if Yuri is looking at him at all—which he is—Viktor still tries his best to somewhat unnerve him with the intensity of his own gaze. It’s a warning against Yuri, a blatant threat Viktor has no intention to mask. _We will kill you if you exploited our trust._

“But we cannot choose not to act on his words. We are gambling on my cousin’s life and, if this stranger’s words are to be true: the fate of our nation and the peace my grandmother fought so hard to protect.”

 

_In a week’s time, it will be Otabek’s thirteenth birthday. Once he's thirteen, he’ll be brought to the region Aunt Sara’s family governed so that he could train under his own grandfather. He’d be gone for years, no doubt, so they spend time together for as much as they can and that is how they end up stargazing in the middle of the night, when everyone else is asleep._

_“Would you go back in time to save your mother?” Yuri asks Otabek out of the blue. At first, it seemed like a good idea to ask; Otabek never spoke of his mother, at least not with Yuri. He wanted to know what Otabek thought, in the very least. “If magic was advanced enough that you can go back in time, would you save her?”_

_Once the words came from his mouth, however, he isn’t quite sure anymore._

_His friend only gazes at the sky, his eyes glistening as his eyes flit from star to star. “Why do you ask?”_

_“Father told us all kinds of stories about her. He said if she were alive today, she would tease me mercilessly, but spoil me all the same.” Yuri huffs. “She sounds like a wonderful person to be with.”_

_Otabek hums, but he doesn’t give his answer. All he does is point to the brightest star they can see. “My mom, Sara, tells me how she burned as bright as the brightest of stars. So beautiful and alluring, she says. But I remember the stories Uncle Michele would tell me: that the brightest of stars have long died and the remnants of their light lives on until it, too, is gone.”_

_“Is he right?”_

_“My uncle isn’t well-versed with the sciences, so I don’t think he’s correct. It’d be a surprise if he is, though.” Otabek confesses. “But I do know that for my mother, it must be true; she was a dead woman walking. The war would have happened, one way or another because she was doomed to die by the hands of Plegian assassins. She couldn’t ever be saved, and I...I’ve accepted that.”_

 

The fight had already started by the time they arrive and Yuri could see that it was a losing battle. Mila's group may have been able to lead their assailants into the Border Pass and far from the town they intended to visit, but its terrain gave their enemies the upper hand. With the mountains forcing the cavaliers into tight spaces, they could easily be attacked from all sides by wyvern riders, mages, and fighters Plegia had dispatched. Even from afar, Yuri could see sparks of lightning shoot forth from the tomes the dark mages wield and he knows well enough that none of the cavaliers would last long. They could keep up the fight but they would either die or their weapons would break before they could clear the area of enemies.

“Oh no,” He hears Yuuri groan from ahead of him. His father points towards one of the higher parts of the mountain and when Yuri follows to see, he realizes what it is that upset him. “Viktor, Sara and Mila...I don’t think Sara can handle any more; they’re surrounded by riders and fighters.”

“What do you think we should do, then, Yuuri?” Viktor yells over the sound of the wind.

He pauses, if only for a moment, before he turns back to Viktor. “We can’t get to Sara and Mila if we want to save the cavaliers. We’ll have to send someone to deal with the ones surrounding them, maybe two.” Then he looks behind him and to Yuri’s own pegasus. “Marth! Marth, you’ll have to go with Cao Bin and save the two of them, or at least keep the enemies away long enough for them to escape!”

Yuri nods and, before he sets off to Sara and Mila, adds, “Yuuri, the man down there—find the leader, his name is Validar, and defeat him if you wish to convince the rest of his men to surrender. He’s impossible to miss but be careful: the man knows wind magic and he’s well-versed with the dark arts.” _It is by his hand that Mila dies_ , but Yuri keeps this to himself.

He leads his pegasus down to where the two were cornered, taking the Falchion out from its sheath and tightening his grip around its hilt. Once he’s close enough to Sara’s pegasus—he can see that it was already heaving and sweating—he cuts through the fighter nearest him. With the man’s axe slowing him down, Yuri takes advantage of his speed to cut through the fighter’s forearm before he finishes him off with a swing to his chest. The man falls back screaming, and it gives Yuri the opportunity to land safely where the man once stood.

“Marth!” Mila calls out in surprise. When Yuri glances at her briefly, he catches sight of her torn clothes and the blood that stains them. He isn’t sure if what he saw was correct, but he couldn’t see Mila holding onto a staff of any sort—it must have broken, he realizes, and that must be why Sara was exhausted. “I—why are you here?”

“This isn’t time to talk!” He snaps. He ducks in time to dodge a spell from a dark mage’s Thunder tome, lightning crackling and goosebumps trail his skin. “You need to escape. _Now_.”

“Let me accompany her—” Sara tries to say before she’s cut off with a swing aimed at her head. She avoids the axe and instead it breaks through her lance. “Oh gods, I…” She pales as realization dawns on her. “I—that was my only lance…!”

It startles him and fills him with some kind of emotion. Dread? Despair? He doesn’t know the name but it leaves a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach and it makes him rush through his opponents. He didn’t have time to spare on one battle when they were surrounded by four more enemies, one of which was a dark mage who also had a _Wind_ tome with him, and Sara couldn’t even defend herself or Mila anymore.

Cao Bin arrives to attack the dark mages from the rear of the enemy's small formation. It catches a dark mage off-guard, having been cut down from behind, and he slumps to the ground and drops his own tome. They both get rid of the enemies that surrounded them, taking advantage of their pegasi to avoid axes and spells, but a gust of wind nearly cut Yuri’s pegasus down, instead tearing through his left sleeve.

Once they’ve cleared their area, Yuri immediately hands over vulneraries over to the two women. He can’t let them stay any longer than they already have; if they’re attacked, he isn’t sure they can survive a battle. It was clear to them that both were exhausted, and Sara’s own pegasus was close to exhausting itself. Neither of them were capable of defending themselves.

“Mila, Sara, go to the town closest the Border Pass, the one at the foot of the mountain,” He instructs. “Cao Bin, please accompany them and make sure that they’re safe. If a wyvern rider tries to attack, you’ll have to be the one to engage them in battle.”

“What about you?” Cao Bin asks, frowning at Yuri’s suggestion. “Will you not help me escort them?”

Yuri _does_ want to help Cao Bin; he wants to make sure that Mila is safe, after all, and no harm will come to her on her way to escape. However, there’s still one thing he has to stop, one thing to change, and he can’t do that if he’s recuperating in a local inn. “No, I’ll stay here,” He tells him. “We haven’t gotten rid of all of our enemies just yet.”

The look on Cao Bin’s face tells him that he doesn’t believe Yuri at all, but he doesn’t argue with him. “If something were to happen to the Exalt,” Cao Bin says, “Then the war will begin and Ylisse will lose her ruler. You do understand, yes?”

“Of course I know that,” Yuri snaps. “Why else did you think I insisted the West Khan take me on as his champion?”

Cao Bin gives him a hard and long look, one that gets on Yuri’s nerves; he’s trying to make him uncomfortable and well, it’s _working_. “I want you to understand that if the Exalt dies by your hand or by your neglect, you will have two kingdoms chasing after you on one front and Plegia on another. Your saving Princess Mila changes nothing, stranger.” Then he hoists himself up on his pegasus.

Mila holds onto Yuri’s hand and squeezes it, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug and whispering a soft _thank you_ in his ear before she climbs to sit on his pegasus’ saddle. Sara bids him farewell, too, but she doesn’t move from her pegasus to hug him or shake his hand. Once they’re ready, Cao Bin orders his pegasus to leave and he takes off, Mila and Sara following after him.

 

According to his Aunt Sara, they didn't kill Mila right away; they kept her alive and demanded that Sara return to Ylisstol to plead with the Exalt for Mila's life. They let her go to relay the message, bringing Mila with them to Plegia for safekeeping. Of course, Viktor agreed without hesitation, tasking Yuuri to devise an escape route should things go awry.

 _Things did_.

The meeting didn’t end well: Viktor refused to hand over the Fire Emblem and Mila was killed with a spear to her chest. A declaration of war, essentially, and when Viktor tried to retrieve her body, he was met with a spell from Validar—a shot from a Thoron tome, aimed for his chest but instead had hit him in his right shoulder.

 _“Your father couldn’t use his sword arm after that,”_ Sara added, _“He switched to his left hand but whenever he’d move his right arm, well...there was pain and it ached throughout the whole campaign against Plegia. He wasn’t the same after that.”_

Of course, what Yuri’s done has changed almost everything; Mila is alive and the declaration of war won’t happen just yet, but it also means that Viktor won’t be attacked in Plegia. The only downside to this is that, unfortunately, Viktor _could_ get injured before the right time as a consequence of Yuri bringing him and the other Shepherds to the Border Pass.

 _And that’s me only praying he actually_ lives _,_ he adds. _What if this triggers the war anyways? What if he’s injured beforehand? What if everything I did was just…_ Yuri trails off, shaking his head to clear himself of these thoughts, and moves to look for the others.

The other assassins should be cleared away by now with the Ylissean cavaliers tended to and sent away, but Yuri still has a rather uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, one he can’t quite place. It’s only until he hears a crackle of thunder by his ear as lightning misses his head for less than half an inch does he figure out why. He ducks instinctively, taking the Falchion out from its sheath, and turns around just in time for _another_ bolt of lightning to be cast, still aimed at him. When Yuri’s eyes settle on the face of his attacker, his gut lurches and he feels all the color drain from his face as it settles in; it’s Validar, the long-necked bastard, who holds a tome of Thoron in one hand.

 _“You_ should not be here,” Validar sneers at him. “None of you should be here. Who told you about our plan?!”

He doesn’t answer, only stepping forward as he lunges at the man and tries to stab him in his heart. Validar avoids his attack, the fabric of his cape a small casualty as the Falchion tears through it, and he retaliates with another spell of Thoron, this time aimed at Yuri’s knees. Yuri isn't able to dodge the spell in time and when it hits, he feels every hair on his body stand on end as the current goes shoots up his spine. The spell throws him back, knocking the air out of his lungs and leaves him winded. His back hits the ground, adding more to the pain, and he can barely register the sound of other voices near him. There's a figure, he isn't quite sure, who runs headlong into Validar's direction with his sword out. As Validar casts spells after the man, the sound of thunder drowning Yuri, the man avoids them all with ease. He can't get any clearer look at who the man is, unfortunately, as his vision blurs altogether.

“Marth!” Yuuri scrambles on his feet to get to where Yuri is, a bottle of vulnerary in his hand and a tome in the other. Yuri doesn't even need to look at Yuuri or his own legs to understand that he was in pretty bad shape. The damage done to his legs  _should_ cripple him or kill him, but Yuri was strong, he was resilient, and he'd known from experience that magic attacks couldn't incapacitate him so easily.

(It's somewhat funny but also bittersweet how in this very moment he has Yuuri tending to his wounds inflicted by a spell. It reminds him of when he would spar with Helena and she would sweep him off his feet with the use of her weakest tome,  _Wind._ His father chastised him, saying he should fear mages and tome wielders most of all, that it wouldn't do if the greatest warrior in the realm would fall to the flimsiest of spells cast.)

“Marth, are you okay?” Yuuri asks, gaping at Yuri. He's almost ready to give his own father a look of disbelief when he's reminded that Yuuri can't even see his eyes— _wait._  

His hands reach up to touch his mask and  _it's not there_ ; the mask he wore wasn't with him, wasn't  _on_ him, so Yuri scrambles to find it, only to see that his mask was scattered all about, shattered into small fragments he can't forcibly put back together. Many things race in his mind: how Seung-gil would  _kill_ him if he finds out Yuri broke the mask he created, how  _JJ_ would be frustrated that Yuri's identity was now on display and a sight to behold for everyone in the past to see, but he also thinks of how  _Yuuri_ might feel right now.

Yuuri only stares at his left eye, no doubt confused and surprised that he bears the Brand of the Exalt, but he shakes his head and instead goes back to treating Yuri's wounds. He doesn't ask even though Yuri knows he really wants to. It's annoying how Yuuri's thoughts are so  _loud_ to him, how it clouds his own mind as he thinks, and it combined with the stinging pain in his wounds is enough to make him snap at his own father.

“If you have anything to say, just say it.” He fumes. “I have the Brand, so what? A lot of other people do.”

It forces Yuuri out of his thoughts, his eyes snapping back into focus as he fumbles with the bandages. He looks up at Yuri, staring at his left eye once more, but he lets his gaze travel farther down to where Yuri holds onto the Falchion tightly. He purses his lips and he scowls, thinking carefully about what to say next.

“Not just anyone,” Yuuri clarifies. “Only the Royal House bear it, and you wielding the Falchion, too, I...” He trails off, trying to find the right words to say, but he shakes his head. “Nevermind. You're injured and we don't have a healer on hand, so you'll have to make do with what I can provide, is that all right?” Yuuri wipes the blood off his hands with his robes, more of an afterthought rather than him consciously wiping them, and then he offers a hand to Yuri to help lift him up. “You aren't in any shape to fight any more than you already have, Marth.”

Yuri is hesitant to take his hand; he isn't sure if he can move his legs, let alone stand, because his position right now is painful and uncomfortable enough as it is even after he'd been tended to. Medicinal herbs and tonics simply could not match the staves of healers, or that may be because he's too used to Loop healing him after every battle.

His father doesn't retract his hand, however, and still insists that Yuri take it. Without much choice, he takes Yuuri's hand and hoists himself up; there's searing pain in his legs, one that made it painful to move, and he could feel the bandages rub against the raw of his skin and the taut skin that surrounds his burns makes him want to double over and go back to his original position. It's much easier, anyways, but it won't get him anywhere, unfortunately. Yuri looks up at his father and then strains to move himself so he can see where he last saw Validar.

The scene reminds him of his small missions, how in his early days he had to rely on the others to take down just one foe. He was too young, then, and barely experienced with real combat—the patience his parents gave him in training didn't exist on the battlefield, especially on the Risen's end. Here he sees Viktor on his feet, avoiding each spell cast as if he were dancing, and Phichit and Georgi took great care in dealing blows Validar could not avoid. When his Thoron tome finally breaks, Viktor thrusts the Falchion into Validar's chest; the blade comes out from behind the sorcerer, its bloodied tip glistening in the heat of the afternoon sun. 

Validar struggles, screaming in pain as Viktor pulls his sword back and blood starts to trickle from the hole in his robes. 

“I—N-no...How could you have—how could you have known...the plan...?” He gurgles, his hands curling protectively over the wound in his chest as he staggers and eventually crumples forward. The light from his eyes leave.

Viktor sheathes his sword, muttering something under his breath that Yuri can't quite hear from where he is now, but he catches Yuri's eye and smiles at him, brightly and heart-shaped, and he makes his way over to Yuri. 

“I instructed Cao Bin to bring the princess and her wife to the nearest village,” Yuri informs him. "It was too dangerous to keep them on the battlefield any longer than they already were—Princess Mila's staff was broken and so was Sara's lance. They couldn't defend themselves any longer. If you wish to visit them then, by all means, they flew west.”

"I suppose I am forever indebted to you, Marth?" Viktor asks with a kind, soft smile. It isn't malicious, not in the slightest, and it reminds Yuri of how Viktor would smile so fondly at him when he was younger. "You've saved my cousin twice now and her wife, too. Is there any way I can repay you?”

He stops and stares at Viktor, thinking long and hard about what to say next. He _could_ ask for gold because he isn't sure how long until his work could be complete and if he'd need food and lodgings in-between, but he remembers that the war will _still_ happen and it would be wiser for Viktor to save every possible penny for the army and for reparations once it's all over.

“No,” Yuri shakes his head, "Hearing you offer is reward enough."

* * *

When they're all healed up and their pegasi rearing to take flight, Yuri decides it's a good enough opportunity to slip away. His work is done, after all, and nothing is forcing him to stay with them, so he might as well leave. He's thinking of traveling the whole continent, perhaps visit Valm, just to find the others; he does know that they all came with him through the portal, that they came here with him, but he just doesn't know where they could be. They may have been separated, but he still needed them. Each one of them.

He has a feeling that Otabek would come to him so long as he'd stay in Ylisstol; his cousin has a knack for finding him no matter where he'd go, whether he'd want to be found or not. For JJ and Isabela, they might be together or they might be separated, he isn't quite sure—they might be in Valm or in the southern parts of Ylisse, for all he knows. The triplets might be scattered throughout the continent, he fears, but he remembers that they all promised to meet in Plegia, in their small home, should it ever happen, so he can pay a visit once the war was over.

He doesn't know where Minami would go or even Guanghong and Leo, and—Yuri's breath hitches at the mere thought that perhaps his sister had followed them, joined them here in the past. He doesn't know if he should be cautious of such a possibility or to embrace it; should he even bother to search for a sister who might have died so long ago?

“You have a habit of leaving without saying so much as a good-bye,” He hears Yuuri say disapprovingly, a click of his tongue to prove his point. “Viktor says that's a bad habit.”

Yuri stops in his tracks. “Yes, I'm...I'm afraid I have a few bad habits.” Yuuri chuckles at that. “My apologies, Yuuri. I didn't mean to offend you by leaving without a farewell.”

“But you leave anyways, so it doesn't really matter what I think, hm?” At that, Yuri turns around to see his father. “You still have your wounds to tend to. At least stay with us long enough to retrieve Mila and have her heal them for you.” 

A tempting offer, he thinks, but he has to decline. It wouldn't be safe for him to stay any longer with Viktor and Yuuri's group now that his mission, for now, was over. Besides, who's to say that they'd let him leave after Mila heals him? Yuri raises more questions than he gives answers, so of course they'd want to find a way to learn more about him, even at the cost of keeping him detained as a prisoner of sorts.

He shakes his head. “I already have what I came for: history has been rewritten.” Yuri looks down at the bandages wrapped around each of his legs, thinking about how painful they would be should he follow them into the Plegian desert. “It can't stop the war from happening but at least the princess lives. Your Exalt is unharmed, and so we ensure the safety of the Fire Emblem. And the world.”

Yuuri seems to mull his words over, letting the implications sink in his mind. “The war will still happen, so would it not mean the Fire Emblem can still be stolen?” He asks. “This doesn't ensure that neither Mila nor Viktor will survive the war.”

“Then I guess it's up to their master tactician to ensure their survival,” Yuri says with a curl on his lips. “You are an asset Plegia cannot have, a nightmare to deal with, Yuuri. Use that brain of yours and work hand-in-hand with your Exalt, and I'm sure you can guarantee the lives of everyone in your little army.”

A long and quiet pause. Yuuri's eyes flit over from one detail on Yuri's face to the next, as if he's looking for some kind of telltale sign that Yuri was joking, teasing him, but he isn't. He's heard of the past, he's seen what his father can do, so of course Yuri has faith in him. “You trust me too much, Marth.” He sighs. “You can't expect me to lead a whole army to victory without a single casualty. You make it sound like I'm a genius, in the very least.”

“Aren't you?” Yuri implores. “Where I come from, you're the master tactician and the right hand of the Exalt. You lead the siege against Plegia, you fought many trying, seemingly impossible battles, and it made you beloved throughout all of Ylisse. You were it's harbinger of justice and victory.”

“You speak so highly of me when I have no clue of what I'm doing here, let alone _why_ I'm here.” He mutters under his breath. 

“Well, don't prove me wrong, then.” Yuri frowns. “Don't tell me Viktor picked the wrong man to be his tactician...”

Yuuri glares at him for his remark. “Of course not.”

“Then prove it,” He says. “The only way you can prove yourself worthy of Viktor, to be the Exalt's right-hand man, his most beloved and most treasured, is to prove your prowess, your tactical brilliance, on the battlefield. Your soldiers are more than pawns: they are people with dreams and family to come home to. They have children to raise and love and care for.”

What he said seemed to have struck a nerve with Yuuri, because the frown on his face deepens into a scowl as he looks over Yuri once more. “Something the matter, Yuuri?”

With a final glance at Yuri's brand, Yuuri shakes his head and smiles at him. “No. I was just thinking of something; a very fleeting thought I've forgotten now.” Then he turns around and waves to Yuri as he bids him farewell. “Take care, Marth. I'll make sure that Viktor and I will repay your favors someday.”

Once he leaves, Yuri is left with nothing but his torn clothes and the Falchion by his side. His mind still reminds him of what happened that day, what he'd done to change the future and the consequences it wrought, and it somehow goes all the way back to both of his fathers: to Viktor and Yuuri. As he begins his slow and painful treck to the next village miles from where he is, he thinks about what they'd do together now that they've delayed the inevitable war.

He knows that his parents are strong: he's seen it, firsthand, and he's heard all of the stories the other Shepherds had to offer, too. They weren't just brains and brawns—they were equals, complementary to one another. They were a terrifying duo to face on the battlefield.

But when he goes over the events of his past and the story his Aunt Sara told him as she lay dying in a pool of her own blood, he feels as if there is more to his fathers' story. She told him his father died at the hands of someone he loved and cared for deeply, but she never told him  _which_ one of his fathers had perished in Plegia first. She didn't tell him who'd killed either of his fathers, if one of them had survived, and—

“ _Your father was a weak man_ ,” Grima mocked. “ _And he paid the price—they_ both _did_.”

Yuri shudders at the memory he's unearthed, violently pushing the thoughts away as it floods his mind.

He remembers Grima's words, what he'd told Yuri specifically to taunt him, to ridicule him.

“ _Love could not stop your father. Love could not have spared_ him _. Their bonds were_ nothing _._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, I finally put it up! It took me a while to write this, and this was actually my fourth rewrite of this prompt. I didn’t know how best to write it and I wasn’t completely satisfied with any rewrite.
> 
> I’ve had this idea for a long time now, as the family dynamic of Chrom and Robin has always been one of the reasons why I loved the game so much. (It may not be perfect and the plot may be weak, but darn, the cast is certainly memorable and it tears through my heart.) Viktor and Yuuri’s dynamic isn’t that much different from theirs and the idea of Yuri going through what Lucina did, too, was what inspired me to even write, haha.
> 
> EDIT 4/2018: Literally a near whole year since I posted this up, without any other updates on my behalf. I'm so sorry for that ;A;
> 
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